A Friendly Beginning
by kate04us
Summary: What if Sharon and Andy's friendship started out with a bang before they decided to change course and head for safer waters? Set in season two, right after Nicole's Wedding.


**A Friendly Beginning**

by Kate04

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 **A/N:** This story has absolutely nothing to do with season 6 since it is set in season 2, right after Nicole's wedding. It is the result of **Kadi219** , **NarcissaNerea** , and I sitting around, discussing head canon, and very much free of broken hearts and any such sad things. It's pure smut with a little fluff tossed in for good measure.

Thank you **Kadi219** for the title and to **NarcissaNerea** for the awesome beta job! I messed around with it since, so don't blame her for any remaining mistakes. If you find any, you can keep them.

 **Disclaimer:** Not my sandbox, not my toys, and what a shame that is.

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" _You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore."_

― William Faulkner

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Sharon unlocked her condo door before she turned around to the man who had escorted her upstairs. Once again, she marveled at how handsome he looked in his black designer suit, the crisp, white shirt, and the deep purple tie. It was not as if she had never noticed that he was good-looking. Andy Flynn had an impeccable sense of style and always took great care of his appearance. Today was different, however. When she had offered to accompany him to his daughter's wedding, she had made clear to him that she was there as his friend, not his captain. That, and the whole atmosphere of the wedding had given her all sorts of thoughts she should not be having about him, but for once she had allowed herself to relax her own rules a little bit. His solid presence beside her all afternoon and evening, without constantly worrying about proper conduct, had made it easy to forget why she was supposed to keep her distance. Despite having been focused on his daughter for the most part, Andy had never left her feeling neglected or ignored, always the perfect gentleman. He had made her feel appreciated in a way she had not experienced in many years, and she was reluctant to let go of that.

"Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?"

She knew that she was playing with fire, even more so when his eyes briefly dropped to her lips before he focused on her eyes once more, his own having darkened considerably. When she had thought about asking him, Sharon had really meant tea, but the moment the words left her mouth, hot beverages had been the last thing on her mind.

Andy nodded, swallowing hard as he watched her gaze sliding down his body. He followed her into her condo, smiling when she stepped out of her heels and kicked them underneath the hallway table. She wriggled her toes for a moment, sighing in relief at the new freedom, before she rounded the corner into her kitchen, switching on lights on the way that bathed the large, open living room in a soft glow.

It was a strange feeling to enter her home. She had always been very careful to keep her personal life away from the people she worked with, even after she took over Major Crimes and Rusty's constant presence in the murder room made that almost impossible. The idea that he was allowed to step into Darth Raydor's lair made him almost giddy with curiosity and a strange sense of anticipation.

He would be lying if he said that he had never thought about sleeping with her. He had always had a thing for her legs, even back when the clacking of her heels alone had given him a headache. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that she would one day invite him into her home, quite obviously at least considering inviting him into her bed as well. The mere thought sent a pleasurable tingle down his spine.

He took a moment to look around, feeling instantly comfortable in the warm, tastefully decorated home. If someone had asked him a few years ago, he would probably have guessed her style to be a cold, black and white design right out of some high end magazine. After getting to know her a little better over the last couple of years, however, he was not surprised at what he saw. It perfectly reflected the woman behind the impenetrable mask she had always worn at work.

He slowly turned towards where Sharon was busy filling a kettle with water and putting it on the stove. He walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and letting them caress down the length of her arms until he was able to lace his fingers through hers, keeping her from putting teabags into the cups she had set out. He brought their arms together across her stomach, gently pulling her back against him.

When she went willingly, laying her head against his shoulder and turning her face into his neck, he released the breath he had been holding. He was reasonably sure that he had read the desire in her eyes right when she had invited him in, but he did not want to presume that she had the same thing on her mind as he did.

Sharon felt him behind her, his broad chest solid against her back, and his arms holding her in a gentle embrace. Her stomach fluttered pleasantly at the sensation, and the scent of his cologne made her head spin again.

When she had practically invited herself to Nicole's wedding earlier that day, Sharon had not intended for this to happen. She had merely wanted to help one of her detectives. After asking Lieutenant Provenza for clarification on his comment that Andy was being "an ass" about his daughter's wedding, they had both agreed that he might need some help to find his way.

Her second in command had volunteered to take Rusty for the night to give her an evening to herself if she managed to make the stubborn mule go. Provenza had not necessarily meant that she should go with him, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Sharon knew from experience what it was like to be in a room full of people who hated her. That had been her job for most of her career, and she had learned to see the power in that. It had taken a few years for her to move past the discomfort of not being liked, to shed the anxiety she had felt every time she had entered a crime scene. Once she had let go of all that, she enjoyed the effect she had on her fellow officers.

Andy, on the other hand, thrived on being part of a team and making the people he cared about happy. He was all tough on the outside, but beneath that, he was the most caring guy she had ever met. Over the years of dealing with him at work, both as his boss and in her previous capacity as head of FID, she had leaned how much he tended to blame himself for everything that went wrong in his life, especially when it came to his family. She knew how destructive an addict could be to a family, but she was also aware that it always took two people to destroy a marriage.

With all that in mind, Sharon had figured that it would help him get through the event if he had someone on his side, someone who did not look at him with disdain or treated him like the enemy. She never doubted that he would eventually decide to go, even before she offered herself as a buffer. She had made sure that he spent as much time as possible with the distraught father of their victim, subtly reminding him that sometimes there were no second chances. He had taken that hint, and he had been very appreciative of her presence beside him at the wedding throughout the afternoon and evening. That trying to help Andy had helped take her mind off of her own problems had been a pleasant side effect.

What Sharon had not expected was how much she would enjoy herself. It had been a little awkward at first. Sandra, Andy's ex-wife, had been put off by his last minute plus one, and her entire family had been rather cold towards them in the beginning, but as afternoon turned into evening, and people got a little more light-hearted with drinks and the general happiness of the bride and groom, they had all relaxed. Nicole and her new husband had been absolutely sweet and had gone out of their way to make her feel welcome, and Dean's family had been very pleasant to talk to.

It was the dancing she had enjoyed most, however. She had no recollection of the last time anyone had taken her out to dance, and she had forgotten how much she loved it. It had taken them a few songs to find their rhythm, but once they did, there had been no stopping them. Andy was a surprisingly skilled dancer, and she had taken advantage of that as much as possible. They had barely stopped all night, only taking brief breaks to get a drink or for him to dance with his daughter.

On the dance floor, her thoughts had for the first time wandered off into territory that she had previously deemed taboo. He had led her through dance after dance, sure-footed and with strong arms that never failed to hold and guide her, making sure she did not stumble or lose her balance. As his solid body had moved against hers, the spicy scent of his cologne tickling her nose where she had subtly buried it into the side of his neck, she had found her imagination wandering to other activities. She had wondered what his lips would feel like on hers, and what it would be like to run her hands over his bare skin instead of the smooth fabric of his suit. She had stopped her mind there, even as the first tendrils of desire had started curling in her abdomen, sending heat along her veins and pooling between her legs.

Now, without the prying eyes of his family, it was much harder to ignore those thoughts. From the way he held her, and with his lip brushing feather light kisses against the side of her head, it was pretty clear that they were on the same page. There were so many reasons why she should step away from him and continue preparing their tea, but Sharon was unable to remember them at the moment.

Turning around in his arms, Sharon let her hands slide up his chest and around the back of his neck, her nails gently scraping over his scalp as she weaved her fingers through his short, thick hair. His own hands fell to her hips, resting there for a brief moment as he held her gaze with searching eyes, wordlessly asking for permission. Instead of answering his unspoken question, she rose to the balls of her feet and captured his lips in a languid kiss, moaning when his hands slid down to cup her ass and pull her even closer.

What had started slowly, almost tentatively, soon turned heated and frantic. Andy groaned when she let her tongue slide over his lips, and he opened them to meet it with his own. He felt himself respond to her taste and the silky warmth of her mouth, his cock slowly coming to life where it was pressed against the soft pillow of her abdomen. His fingers itched to find the zipper at the back of her dress and slowly peel her out of her clothes. He had thought about that from the moment he had picked her up at her door earlier that day, but he kept his hands on the firm cheeks of her ass. He was determined to let her lead, to allow her to set the pace and decide how far they would go.

He was as good at kissing as he was at dancing, and Sharon could not get enough of the sensations he created within her as their tongues tangled and explored. She felt his desire against her, and rolled her hips back and forth to tease him a little. He was maddeningly restrained, and she wished that he would just let go, that he would push her against the counter and take her hard. It had been so long since she had allowed a man to get this close to her that she had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed this.

Releasing the hold she had on the back of his head, she let her hands slide down his front and inside his open suit jacket, brushing it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She was busy loosening his tie when he covered her hands with his own, halting her frantic motions. When she looked up at him, ready to protest, he planted a tender kiss on the corner of her lips before he studied her closely.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a soft, rumbling voice.

She loved that he cared enough to give her an out, but she was done thinking for the night. Capturing his lips in another searing kiss, she ground her hips against him, her hands still curled around his tie and holding him in a tight grip.

"Yes, I am sure," she finally replied, slightly breathless, when they broke apart. Then she turned them slightly and backed away towards her bedroom, tugging him along by his tie.

It only took him a split second to catch up with her, and he followed along willingly. As they slowly made their way down the short hallway and into a dark room that smelled faintly of her perfume, he wondered how he had gotten so damn lucky. Sharon was one hell of an attractive woman on any day, but in the dark blue dress that exposed more of her legs and cleavage than she allowed at work, with her eyes almost black with desire, and her lips swollen from their kisses, she literally took his breath away.

They were barely through the door when she resumed undressing him, his tie landing somewhere to his right as her fingers made short work of his shirt buttons. While Sharon was busy ridding him of his clothes, he let his own hands explore her body, his fingertips gliding over her cheeks, along her jaw and down her throat, tracing the length of her collarbone and along the scalloped neckline of her dress. He felt her breath hitch when he reached the valley between her breasts, and drew a moan out of her when he cupped her soft mounds in his hands. She arched her back into his touch, whimpering as he kneaded the supple flesh, his thumbs brushing over her nipples.

He was out of his shirt and undershirt, and Sharon was starting to work on his belt buckle before Andy began to open her dress, the fingers of his free hand gently trailing in the wake of the zipper, making her tremble at the soft touch on her bare skin. He tugged the lace sleeves down her arms and let the dress drop to the ground at her feet before he toed off his shoes and stepped out of the pants Sharon had managed to rid him off while he had been busy.

The room was almost completely dark, the city lights streaming through the window the only illumination. Andy explored her with his hands, feeling the contours of her body, the dark silk and lace of her bra and panties a stark contrast to her smooth, pale skin. She was soft and curvy under his touch, and he longed to drink her in with his eyes. Taking a step closer to the nightstand, Andy reached out to switch on the lamp, relieved to finally be able to see more than just shapes and shadows.

The room was warm and comfortable, the bed covered in pillows and looking inviting. Everything was neat except for the closet door that stood open and her work clothes that were draped over the back of a chair. It was the only visible evidence of her earlier rush to get ready for the wedding.

All those observations were secondary, however, to the pleasure of finally laying his eyes on Sharon's barely covered body. It had been the subject of quite a few secret fantasies, but reality was so much better. For years, he had been afforded little glimpses of her legs, her chest, her butt, the dip of her waist, and the soft swell of her hips. It had been just enough to give him an idea, to make him wonder what it would be like to run his hands over her. Never once had he thought that he would one day stand in front of her like this, his eyes feasting on her long, shapely legs, to see her chest rise and fall, clad in nothing but a bit of midnight blue silk. It was obvious that she took great care of her body, although the years had left a few traces behind. Andy could not wait to learn every little imperfection, every sensitive spot, to peel the last barriers away from her, and to explore her with all his senses.

He felt his own arousal tent his boxer briefs as he slowly closed the small gap between them, his fingers gently running up and down her arms. Goosebumps rose in their wake, and she drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes closing, and her tongue darting out to run over her lips. With one hand on her cheek, he pulled her closer, tilting his head slightly to capture her lips in another searing kiss. They both moaned into it, and her hands snuck around his back, her fingers digging into his muscles.

Andy held her close for a long moment, before he found the clasp of her bra and undid it with practiced ease. Stepping back slightly, he dragged the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, licking his lips in anticipation.

His motion was halted by Sharon's arms which were suddenly crossed over her chest, holding the bra in place. She refused to meet his eyes, and her cheeks were red. Abandoning his focus on ridding her of her remaining clothes, he placed gentle hands on her shoulders and tried to get her to look at him.

"Hey, what's the matter?" he asked in a soft voice, worried that he had done something to hurt her.

Biting her lower lip, Sharon shook her head almost imperceptibly, too embarrassed to face him.

"Can we maybe… Would you mind if we turned the light off again?"

Andy frowned at the unexpected request, at a loss for a moment as to why she would want the room to be dark. Then understanding dawned on him, and he drew his brows together even more. It angered him that a woman like Sharon thought that she had reason to feel ashamed of her body when there was absolutely nothing at all wrong with it. How was it possible that she had not been told again and again how beautiful she was? Was it Jack who had instilled this doubt in her or someone else? He had certainly never seen her shy or uncertain about her appearance before, and it startled him, because it was so unlike her.

"I know I got a little soft around the middle, but I didn't think it was that bad. But sure, if the sight of me turns you off so much, I guess we can switch off the light again," he joked for lack of a better way to respond.

He hoped that humor would help diffuse the tension. He had no idea how else to react to her uncertainty without accidentally offending her or overstepping the unspoken boundaries of their encounter. What he really wanted to say was that she was absolutely breathtaking, and that he had dreamed of this moment for such a long time, and that whoever had given her reason to think she was anything but stunning was an idiot, but he feared that those words would be too intimate, too close to talking about feelings that had no place between them.

Sharon had not thought about the implications of having sex with Andy. She had enjoyed his closeness during the wedding. Everything that came after had simply happened, and it had felt right somehow. Logically, she knew that it was ill-advised and reckless, but her need to connect to someone else on a physical level outweighed any considerations of rank and work relationships. It was not until he began to remove that final layer protecting her from his hungry gaze that old insecurities started to resurface. Her husband's seemingly meaningless teasing about her slowly disappearing waist, a former lover's disappointed look at the sight of her slightly sagging breasts, her own occasionally overly critical observations – it all made her want to hide underneath the blanket and never let anyone look at her again. If it were not for the desire that still burned hot in her veins, she would probably have called this entire adventure off and sent Andy on his way, but she wanted him too much to even consider that.

And then he cracked a bad joke, and the tension in her shoulders snapped, making her bend at the hip, her hands on her knees as she laughed until she snorted. It was beyond ridiculous, and he had found the perfect way to make her realize that. When she finally regained some measure of control, she straightened up, not bothering to replace the bra that had slipped down to her wrists, instead letting it drop to the floor. Reluctantly, she raised her eyes to meet his, her breath catching in her throat at the naked hunger she saw in them. He drank her in, his gaze caressing her body as it slowly traveled up her legs, over her hips and stomach, and farther up to her chest, lingering there for a long moment, before he finally focused on her face once more.

She was still self-conscious, fighting the urge to cover herself, despite his obvious desire for her.

"I know it's not what you are used to," she apologized, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she forced herself to keep looking at him. She still wished they could just switch off the light again, even though she very much enjoyed the sight of Andy's body.

He shook his head at her in astonishment, allowing his fingertips to feather over her shoulders, along her collar bones, and down over her chest. He brushed the outside of her breasts with the backs of his fingers before he gently cupped the soft mounds, his thumbs flicking over her nipples, back and forth, again and again, until she closed her eyes and moaned.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?"

His voice was deep and raspy with desire, his eyes almost black as they followed the hypnotic movements of his thumbs. She whimpered when he abandoned her sensitive flesh to take hold of her hands, squeezing them slightly before he slowly backed her away from the bed and towards the open walk-in closet. A confused frown on her face, she reluctantly allowed him to navigate her through the room, stiffening slightly when he turned her around to face the full-length mirror on the inside of her closet door.

"Andy, what –"

He did not give her a chance to voice her protest at his strange actions. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her towards him until her back rested against his chest.

"Shhh," he soothed her nerves. "Do you trust me?"

There was no hesitation in her nod and the low hum of agreement. Yes, she trusted him. Not just as a fellow officer and a member of her team, but also on a more personal level, even though that part of their relationship was only a few hours old.

"Just look at yourself, Sharon. Look at how your eyes sparkle with so much life and happiness. Look at how beautiful you are."

He ran the fingers of his right hand along her swollen lips, over her reddened, glowing cheek, and along her jaw, down her neck, following her clavicle and then down over her chest. His lips nibbled at the side of her neck. Between hot, whispered words pointing out all the parts of her body he loved, he licked at her sensitive skin right behind her ear, sucked her earlobe into his mouth, followed the shape of her ear with his tongue. His hands had found her breasts, cupping them gently, her nipples straining into his touch.

Sharon wanted to close her eyes, but his deep, raspy voice cast a highly erotic spell upon her, making it impossible to look away from what he was doing. If anyone had told her that she would enjoy watching herself like that, she would have laughed at them, and yet, here she was. His words combined with his caresses were a potent mix that had her on the fast track to a powerful release.

Her soft moans spurred him on, silencing that small voice at the back of his mind that told him he was going too far, that he was pushing his luck, and that she would put a stop to his crazy idea faster than he could say _harassement charges_. Instead, she allowed herself to lean into him completely. She surrendered to him in a way no woman had before. For the first time in all the years he had known her, she let herself be completely vulnerable in front of him. That was a sight he had not been prepared for, and it turned him on in ways he had not expected.

When his right hand slowly traveled down over her stomach and hips, lingering a moment on her belly with the faded scar of a c-section and the faint stretch marks, he felt her breath catch and her shoulders tense a little. In response, he pulled her back against his very obvious arousal, showing her that nothing he saw was even remotely bad. He loved her curves. They made her softer, sensual, and sexy as hell.

Once she relaxed, his hand slid farther down, tugging her dark blue panties over her toned butt. He briefly stepped back from her in order to drag them down, prompting her to step out of them once they pooled at her feet. He let his hands travel up her long legs, lingering on the inside of her knees when the gentle scrape of his nails there made her tremble.

Sharon whimpered when he finally stood behind her once again, his chest solid and his arms holding her upright. Her knees felt weak, and her heart was racing in anticipation. This time, he did not make her wait any longer. One hand returning to her breast, the other one slid through her curls, simply cupping her mound for a maddening moment. She thrust her hips into his touch, craving more, wanting to feel him inside her. When he finally complied, he drew a deep moan from her as she let her head fall back against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

She was impossibly wet already, which was a small miracle and testament to Andy's skill and the long time she had gone without feeling another person's touch. It usually took a lot longer for her to get this worked up, and more often than not, a little artificial help was required to get things going. The fact that, for once, her body was keeping up with her desire was a relief.

He was trying to drive her crazy. His fingers caressed her folds, spreading the evidence of her desire, winding her up more and more, until she thought she would snap, but never quite touching her where she needed him. When he firmly commanded her to open her eyes, she complied, his own gaze dark and hungry when she met its reflection.

When he had her attention once more, Andy pushed two fingers into her, the movement hard and sudden. Her eyes fluttered and her breath caught, something between a sob and a moan escaping her. She was tight, and wet, and impossibly hot, and his length twitched in anticipation of being buried inside her. Her walls gripped his digits hard, contracting slightly around them, and a slight flush darkened the skin of her chest, neck, and cheeks. She was glowing in his arms, and he wanted to stay in this moment forever, despite his own need.

He set a slow rhythm, taking his cues from the soft sounds she made. Her breathing deepened, and her hands gripped his arms hard enough that she was sure to leave bruises.

"Andy, please," she begged, her voice husky, when he refused to follow the urging of her rolling hips and speed up his pace.

He wanted to tease her more, to take more time to enjoy the sight of her, but even more than that, he wanted to see her fall apart. Allowing his thumb to finally find her clit, he grinned into the thick, wavy hair falling over her shoulder when she whimpered at the sudden contact. He read her reactions carefully, adjusting the pressure and angles of his touch until he found what seemed to work best for her.

Sharon's arms reached back until her fingers laced at the back of his neck, her body wantonly arching into his hands. The sight was breathtaking, and he made sure she felt how much it was affecting him.

She held his gaze through hooded eyes for as long as she possibly could, until the pleasure he gave her became too intense. Her head fell back against his shoulder once again as she let go completely. Andy had tapped into something she had kept locked away for a long time, and she allowed herself to get swept away by his touch. The tightly coiled desire that his attention to her had slowly built up suddenly exploded, sending sparks of electricity along her nerves, making her fingers and toes tingle as her hips chased after more of what he was giving her. She was barely conscious of her actions, her sole focus on the sensations his touch created.

She was magnificent. Andy had always liked pleasuring women with his hands or his mouth, to watch them fall apart without the distraction of his own impending orgasm. To witness the way Sharon gave up her precious control, however, to see her selfishly go after the rush of release he offered, that was doing something to him he had not experienced before. If his own need had not been bordering on being painful, he would have gladly kept going like this, winding her up until she crashed over the precipice, allowing her to calm down, and then repeating it over and over again until she begged him to stop. Maybe he would get a chance to do that one day, when he was not this close to his own release.

Her heart was beating rapidly, and she had a hard time catching her breath. The hand between her legs no longer moved, having stilled but remaining in place, its gentle touch soothing instead of exciting as the final waves of her orgasm washed over her. She felt her walls contract around his fingers, less powerful than only a few seconds before, but still noticeable. His other hand rested over her stomach, his arm anchoring her to his solid form, keeping her on her feet despite her weak knees. She allowed herself to luxuriate for a few precious moments in the exquisite feeling of safety and warmth he gave her before she slowly opened her eyes and straightened her posture, making sure her legs supported her weight. She shuddered when he removed his hand, instantly missing the intimate connection they shared, but she wanted more.

Andy had selflessly given her what she needed. He had watched her unravel under his skilled hands. It was time that she took care of his needs, and from what she saw when she turned around and looked down, he would not protest. His desire for her was painfully obvious, and she licked her lips at the mouthwatering bulge that was barely contained by his boxer briefs.

Slipping her arms around his body, she ran her hands down the smooth expanse of his back all the way to his firm ass. She wasted no time hooking her thumbs into the elastic waistband of his underwear and pulling them down until they dropped to the floor. Feeling him against her, skin on hot skin, made her tremble with need, and she gently pushed him backwards until he bumped into the side of her bed and sat down.

"Lie down on your back," she ordered in a deep, sultry voice, and he instantly complied.

For a split second, Sharon considered the impressive erection that was eagerly twitching against Andy's stomach, picturing his reaction if she took him in her mouth. It was a tempting thought, but one look at his face made her discard that idea. His desperation was evident in his expression, and she had no intention of torturing him. Instead, she crawled onto the bed and straddled his hips, closing her eyes at the sensation of his hard length sliding through her wet folds.

Andy hissed when she settled down above him. His cock was trapped between his stomach and her body, so close to that sweet place he longed to sink into that it was almost painful. The sight of a naked Sharon Raydor hovering over him, her hands planted on his chest, her lips trailing hot kisses along his jaw was not helping him stay in control, either.

And then she had her hand wrapped around his length, raising her hips a little until she was able to guide him to her entrance. They locked eyes as she slowly sank down on him, a slight frown of concentration drawing her brows together. She was so tight, so hot, and it was all the could do not to thrust up until he was sheathed all the way inside her. Instead, he drew a deep, calming breath, his hands stroking up and down her thighs as he allowed her to control their pace. From the way she held her breath and the tension that ran through her entire body, he figured that it must have been a while for her, which made him even more determined to let her lead.

Despite being incredibly aroused, it hurt. Sharon knew that it would be a little uncomfortable at first the moment she lay eyes on Andy's naked body. He was not huge, but certainly bigger than her previous lovers, and it had been a long time since she had allowed herself to be this intimate with anyone. She was grateful that Andy gave her all the time she needed to adjust to his size, and when she had finally taken all of him inside her, she leaned down to kiss him. It was a lazy, intimate dance of lips and tongues as they enjoyed the feeling of being joined.

When she started moving it was at a slow pace, her hands once again planted on his chest and his on her hips. He met her thrust for thrust, low moans gradually increasing in volume as their movements quickened and became more desperate. Andy had been close even before he felt her heat surrounding him, and Sharon was still keyed up from her first release. It would not take long for either one of them.

He was hot and hard inside of her, and he filled her so completely, hitting all the right places. Her thighs were burning, and she was sure the skin at her hips would be bruised in the morning from where Andy held her. None of that mattered as the fire started deep inside her core once again. Leaning back, she braced her hands on his thighs, both of them groaning at the changed angle. She was almost there, her heart beating frantically as the flames moved through her veins with increasing intensity. Her entire body burned with it, but that final spark remained just out of reach, no matter how desperately she chased after it.

Holding back any longer was absolutely impossible. The sight of her riding him drove him crazy with her body flushed and glistening in the dim light, her eyes closed and lips parted, and the slight frown on her forehead. He was able to smell her desire mixed with her perfume and the flowery scent of laundry detergent clinging to the sheets, and he could not get enough of it. He wished they could stay in this moment forever, but she felt heavenly around him, gripping him so tightly, her skin soft and warm under his hands, and her moans and whimpers made him lightheaded with need. Allowing one hand to slide between her legs, he easily found her clit with his thumb, hoping to pull her along with him as he went over the edge.

It merely took a few seconds for her walls to clamp down around him, pulsing frantically and drawing his own climax from him. His hips crashed into her a few more times, his shout joining her groan as he came inside of her. It felt like it lasted minutes, but it was over far too soon. Sharon collapsed on top of him with a long, satisfied sigh, her head coming to rest on his shoulder and her face buried in the cook of his neck. He brought his arms around her, holding her close as they both waited for their heartbeats to slow down.

Their bodies fit together perfectly like this, and Andy savored the feeling of her slight weight on top of him, the soft puffs of her breath on the skin of his neck, and the tickling of her hair on his shoulder. Eventually, he slipped from her, and he flinched at the resulting mess. When Sharon moved, he expected her to rise from the bed and go to the bathroom. Instead, she merely rolled off of him and snuggled into his side, one arm across his chest and a leg sliding between his. He was surprised by her actions, but saw no reason to complain when it felt to wonderful to hold her close. Tugging at the rumpled comforter, he managed to drape enough of it over them to keep the cool air away from their overheated bodies. His limbs were heavy and his mind free of any thought beyond the pleasant heaviness of Sharon's head on his shoulder. Even if she had asked him, he doubted that he would have been able to move in that moment.

He noticed right away when Sharon awoke from her light slumber, her body tensing against his. It was enough to pull him out of his own post-coital nap. Everything about this day had been a surprise to him, from her volunteering to be his buffer to the very passionate turn the night had taken earlier. Her having second thoughts about what had happened, however, was not unexpected.

Andy had observed her closely over the last few weeks, a little concerned about the effect her husband's return would have on her. At the beginning, he had thought it was nice to see the other man again. They'd had a lot of fun back in the day. It was Provenza's attitude towards Jack that had given Andy cause to think. He had started looking past the affected joviality and saw a man desperate for approval but unable to commit to earning it.

That, in turn, made him pay closer attention to his Captain, a woman who rarely allowed anyone to see past her carefully erected walls. She had dealt with Jack Raydor for most of her life, and she was not easily fooled, but as days turned into weeks, it became clear that she was not completely immune to her husband's charms. Sometimes, when she felt unobserved, there was a tenderness in her eyes as she watched Jack make his jokes or chat with Rusty. Glimpses of the girl who had fallen in love with a striking, ambitious young man shone through the cracks in her armor, and he had hoped that Jack would not disappoint her again.

In the end, that was exactly what had happened. At the time, Andy had wondered why she had asked Jack to defend their suspect. Had it merely been expedience, because finding another public defender would have taken too much time? Or had she hoped the he would be more cooperative? Or maybe she had anticipated his actions, and counting on her knowledge of him, she had set him up, had planned to manipulate him to get this exact outcome? Maybe some day he would ask her about that, when she had put a little distance between her and the most recent events.

When she had come to the office the next morning, she had not mentioned Jack at all, and neither had the kid. She had appeared completely normal, as focused on solving the case as ever. It had only been later, at the wedding reception, that she had allowed a little bit of her sadness to show.

He was pretty sure that the unexpected turn their day had taken was the result of that same sadness. He had been there plenty of times, after his marriage had broken apart as well as after the very few more serious relationship he'd had since. How often had he ended up in a bar after a breakup and went home with some woman for a little bit of meaningless fun to distract him, to take the edge off the heartbreak, to get some reassurance that he was not a complete failure. He understood what had happened between them, and he hoped that they would be able to move past it without damaging their relationship.

"Look Sharon, I know what this was, okay? There's no need to feel bad about it. We both had a good time. It doesn't have to change anything," he offered, breaking the tense silence between them.

"Is that really all it was?" She sounded sad and a little doubtful, and it made his heart flutter for some reason.

"Maybe not, but you were just left by your husband. I know it's not the first time, but don't pretend that it didn't hurt. Give yourself some time to feel it, and to think about what it means. I value our work relationship too much to risk it for something that might not be more than an admittedly spectacular rebound."

The words were harder to get out than he had thought. He wished that it was real, that she truly wanted _him_ and not simply someone to take her mind off of her broken heart, but she would have to come to that realization in her own time, if she ever did.

"It was pretty good, wasn't it?"

She smiled as memories of their previous activities sparked through her mind. Her body was pleasantly sore, the scent of sex still heavy in the air. It made her tingle with renewed desire, but she resisted the urge to act on it. They had already overstepped the boundaries of their work relationship. To cross that line again would be to obliterate it completely, and there was not way of predicting what the long-term consequences of that would be. He was right with everything he said, no matter how hard that was to admit while still wrapped in his arms.

"Yeah. And who knows, maybe one day we'll be ready to revisit this conversation and see where it leads. For now, I'd be very happy to have my friend Sharon be part of my life."

His words made her heart clench pleasantly, at the thought of a possible future containing more of this closeness they had shared, but even more than that at the idea of exploring a friendship with this wonderful man. In the few hours they had spent together at Nicole's wedding, she had gotten to know him on a different, more personal level, and she liked what she had found. He was intelligent, well-read, funny, warm-hearted, and unbelievably kind, and she was eager to learn even more about him away from work, from their colleagues' judgmental gazes, from murder and tragedy. It would be nice to have a friend who worked the same crazy hours, one who understood their job and the joy and heartache it caused.

"I would like that," she replied simply, allowing her fingers to trace random patterns on his chest, enjoying the feeling of the thick, coarse hair tickling her skin. They were quiet for a long moment, basking in the other's presence before Andy took a deep breath and squeezed her side gently.

"Come on, let's get dressed and clean up our mess. Knowing Provenza, he'll have the kid over at the crack of dawn, and we'd never hear the end of it if he found me here."

Together they rose from the bed, dancing around one another as they sorted through the hastily discarded clothes. As Andy got dressed, Sharon put on a nightgown and her soft cashmere robe before she straightened her dress out and hung it up with the rest of her dry cleaning. She escorted him to the front door with a short detour to the kitchen to retrieve his jacket.

As they stood in the open door facing one another, her hands nervously straightening his tie, he cupped her cheek and waited for her to look up at him. When she finally did, he leaned down until their lips met in a tender, lingering kiss.

"Thank you for today, Sharon," he said as he pulled away, giving her a sweet smile. "I had a really great day, and I have you to thank for that."

She returned his smile and let her hand slide down the length of his tie, unable to stop touching him.

"That's what friends are for," she replied in a soft whisper before she stretched up and gave him another, shorter kiss.

He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers before he tugged a strand of hair behind her ear, lingering there for a long moment, simply studying her face, taking in her unguarded expression and the happy sparkling of her eyes before he finally stepped away into the hallway.

"Good night, Sharon. Sleep well."

"Good night. Drive safe."

Leaning into the doorframe, she watched him walk towards the elevators, only retreating into her condo and closing the door once he was out of sight. She sighed happily as she made her way into the kitchen to clean away their half finished tea. It had been a wonderful day, and she did not regret how it had ended. They had shared something precious, and she was confident that they would be able to turn it into something even more valuable – a deep and lasting friendship.


End file.
